


Stirrings In The Dark

by OkitaKamiko



Category: Gintama
Genre: Action/Adventure, Coercion, F/M, Humor, S&M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-08
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2018-12-25 09:17:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12032865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OkitaKamiko/pseuds/OkitaKamiko
Summary: Sougo is getting tired of the usual back and forth between himself and Kagura. Deciding that he wants more from her, he proposes a battle in which the victor takes all. Sougo can't recall the last time he was unsure of victory and this was no different. Kagura would be his and all it took was a gamble that she would be his slave for a month. Rated for themes and adult situations.





	1. Chapter 1: Beware Of Handsome Men

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! I’ve been reading on this site for a little while now but this is my first-time writing. I’ve recently become obsessed with Gintama and am a big supporter of Okita x Kagura. I have yet to find a story however that I feel fits them how I would imagine them to be so I thought “hey, let’s give it a go!”
> 
> I’ll keep this AN short and sweet, I swear. In this story, Kagura will be 18 and Sougo will be 22. This story will have adult situations and language as well as possible graphic content. Please take note of the age rating. I do not have an update schedule as I’m writing this when I feel I want to but any feedback would be greatly appreciated o/
> 
> Well, on to the story! I hope you enjoy :3
> 
> Disclaimer: I hold no claim to ownership of the Gintama Franchise and furthermore make no money from writing or publishing this piece. This is a non-profit fan work.

"Ne, China, are you even trying?"

"Shut up, stupid sadist! I swear I'm going to shove my umbrella so far up your ass that-"

"I had no idea you were such as S, China. We should share ideas."

"I'm going to crush you like a bug!"

"Oh, like Sadaharu#28?"

"Argh!"

Kagura swung her umbrella down onto the bench where Sougo had stood but moments before. Her umbrella crashed through the wood sending shards flying off in all directions. Sougo jumped backwards once more and quickly lifted his arm to shield his face from the scattering debris. Before he could land, however, Kagura lunged forward, her umbrella aimed at his face. A metallic ring sounded through the area as the two weapons clashed. Blue eyes glared at mocking red ones.

How many times had this scene played out and yet the result was always the same? One would catch sight of the other, insults would be thrown back and forth till eventually the exchange would take a violent turn that would lead to their current situation. Usually, either one of them would call the fight off for some reason or another or a member from the Shinsengumi or Yorozuya would appear to break them up. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Sougo sighed as Kagura backflipped away from their skirmish and readied herself to charge him once more. He was getting bored of this routine. He had reached a point where he was no longer surprised by her responses or her actions and really, where was the fun if you knew what to expect every time? He no longer gained anything from these brawls. He enjoyed playing with the girl, she was always so responsive but he found that he was no longer satisfied with the way things were. He wanted more for his efforts.

Sougo watched as she charged in, once again preparing to swing her umbrella down on his head. He watched and waited as he saw her twist her body to the left to catch him off guard with a side strike instead. He lifted his sword once more to guard against the blow, raising his leg and kicking her in the stomach. Kagura flew backwards a couple of feet as she gripped her stomach in pain and glared at him.

"If you like being on your knees so much, China, I'd be happy to put your efforts to better use while you're down there"

"Give me two minutes and you'll be on the floor on your back!"

"I guess we could try you on top but a beast like you needs to be held in place."

"Who the hell are you calling a beast, sadist?! Let's see you call me that when I'm done remodelling your stupid face!"

"Oi, oi. You're hurting this police officer's feelings, doggy."

"Argh!"

"It's "grr" or "woof", doggy."

Kagura charged in once again at Sougo but Sougo didn't wait for her to reach him. He charged in too, blade poised behind him gipped in both hands. Kagura swung her umbrella from her right side to strike his head. Sougo raised his sword once more to parry the weapon away failing to see the grin on Kagura's face. Just as he went to deflect the blow, Kagura suddenly dropped down and swiped his feet from underneath him with her leg. As Sougo fell, he reached out to catch himself on his hand only to have Kagura quickly pivot and kick him across the field. Sougo's body hit the ground once as he flew before catching himself and flipping back to an upright position. Kagura left him no space to breath and followed him, rearing her arm back to return the previous punch to her stomach.

Before she could make contact, Sougo's hand reached out caught her by the wrist. He pulled her down hard and swiftly. Before Kagura could recover, she felt something push down on her chest and something sharp held to her throat. She looked at the boot on her chest and followed it up to the smirking face of her rival; Okita Sougo.

"Look, I taught the doggy to lay down." Kagura attempted to lunge forward and grab him but stopped when she felt the steel press against her throat. "Shall I teach the doggy to play dead too?" Kagura just glared up at him not saying a word. Sougo just stood there in silence looking down at her. After a couple of seconds passed he sighed and turned, sheathing his blade as he did so. As he began to walk away, Kagura leapt to her feet.

"Oi! Running away already, coward? Too scared of the awesome might of the Queen of Kabukicho?!"

"This isn't a challenge anymore. I've got better things to do and Hijikata-sans to kill."

"You've been saying that crap for years. If you really could, you would have done it by now, sadist."

Sougo just waved it off with his hand before putting it in his pocket. "Whatever, China. Come and find me when you develop some skills. I don't feel like playing baseball anymore."

"Hah! If I tried, you'd be dead, idiot! I really would crush that round head of yours and then I'd have to deal with Mayora complaining about a lack of staff!"

Sougo stopped walking. He didn't say anything and he didn't move. Kagura just watched him, waiting for a response of some kind. It was unusual for the sadist to go quiet. He normally just kept running his mouth on and on until you wanted to commit seppuku. Time was passing by and Kagura was getting impatient. She resisted tapping her foot or sighing however as she didn't want to give the sadist the satisfaction of knowing that he was aggravating her. She looked down at the ground and wondered if she should just walk away. If she headed back to the Yorozuya now, she may catch Otae-san before she left.

"Do you really think you could win a fight against me, China?" Kagura's eyes darted back up to the sadist. He hadn't moved the whole time but she was sure she had heard him correctly. Kagura squared her shoulders and stood up straight. She wouldn't show anything but confidence to the idiot who underestimated her.

"Tsk, of course I could. I just don't want to be the reason you get kicked out of the Shinsengumi. Maybe Honjou-san can help you out. I think you'd be better off serving others!" Kagura burst out laughing at her own joke. She bent over with her hands gripping her sides as her laugh grew in volume.

"If you're so sure, why don't we make this interesting?" Kagura stopped laughing and tilted her head to the side. Sougo had yet to turn around and Kagura was unsure of what he meant.

"Interesting? Interesting how?" Sougo languidly turned around, his hands still in his pockets with a blank expression. Kagura studied his face looking for any inclination of his intentions. His face may have been blank but his eyes were anything but. They looked alert and very focused. A far cry from his usual disinterested glances.

"If you're so sure that you can win then how about you put your money where your mouth is." Kagura just stared at him. Money where your mouth is? She'd never heard of such a thing. Was he proposing they eat money? If so, he had better be providing the money because there was no way Gin-chan would sponsor her. Before she could ask anything, Sougo continued. "We'll each state our terms of victory. If you're still feeling confident, then we'll fight again and the winner takes all. Well, I'll take all." Kagura could feel her body tense up from the last few words. She knew that he was baiting her but she couldn't stand it when the sadist got cocky. She brushed off her clothes and walked towards him stopping a couple of feet in front of him.

"Confidence has nothing to do with it. Just don't come crying to me when you realise that I've been going easy on you, sadist. What are your terms?"

Sougo had to consciously restrain himself from smirking. This is what he wanted. He wanted change. He wanted something new. He wanted a challenge. "I'm a gentleman, China. Ladies first."

"Tsk, gentleman? Don't make me laugh. I'm sure you've never even heard of the word chivalry! You just want to see how high I'm willing to go, is that it, idiot sadist?!" She pointed an accusing finger at him, waving it back and forth in front of his face. Her voice was getting louder with each sway of her arm.

"Hurry up. I need to make sure Hijikata-san is back in his office by 3:45pm. Are you going to howl and fight or run with your tail between your legs?"

"I'm not a damn dog! I'm not a coward either, idiot! I'm going to destroy you, sadist!"

"Then state your terms, China." Kagura didn't respond straight away but instead remained quiet to think of what she wanted. She didn't really want anything from the sadist. Sure, he was a pain in her ass that rivalled Zenzou-san's haemorrhoids but she didn't want to hurt him. She continued to contemplate as she searched his eyes for any indication of how she should respond. He stared back at her, his face unchanging. Kagura sighed in her mind. She could always just ask him to buy her food. That way, both Gin-chan and Shinpachi-kun would be happy. Everyone wins. Except for the sadist but what goes around comes around.

As she was about to state her terms, Sougo scoffed and tilted his head up. Kagura could feel her ire rising as she saw his smirk on his face. She cursed him in her mind for always being so arrogant. In that moment, Kagura decided she would have no mercy on the cretin. This was his idea. He dug the hole, he could jump in and she would pour the cement on top.

"If I win, I demand that you acknowledge me as the Queen of Kabukicho and will never step foot within Kabukicho ever again." Kagura kept a straight face while delivering her demands but inside she was grinning. The sadist couldn't do his job if he couldn't enter the district and to top it off, he would forever more have to acknowledge her as his superior. She didn't know if he would accept the risks but either way, it was a win-win situation for Kagura. She waited, feeling triumphant, for him to respond.

"Ouch. One would think that you didn't want me around? You're really wounding me today, China. Guess it's my turn then." Sougo looked around the area as though he was thinking of what he wanted. He already knew what he wanted but as she had taken so long, he wanted to return the favour. He was also trying to remember if he had to get Hijikata in his office for 3:45pm or 4:00pm. Oh well, he'd find out soon enough. He glanced back at Kagura and was surprised to see that she had not faltered in her resolve.

"When I win, I want you to be my slave for a month."

Kagura just blinked at him. And blinked again. And again. Slave? Had she just heard him correctly? Did she suddenly warp into another reality? Had the sadist used the Sharingan on her and warped her mind? Sougo, watching her implosion, chuckled to himself.

"That's it, China. One month but for that month you must do everything I say. No if's or buts." Kagura just stood there processing what he said. She hadn't misheard him. He was serious. She took a deep breathe, held it and let it out slowly picturing all her frustration leaving with it.

It did nothing.

"What the hell kind of forfeit is that?! Do you think this is a game, idiot?! If this were a game I'd send you to the shadow realm you pervert!" Kagura's eyes were bulging out of their sockets and spit flew from her mouth as she screamed at the man in front of her.

"I thought you were certain that you'd been 'taking it easy on me', no? If that's the case then what's the problem?" Sougo remained unmoved and continued smirking at her. Kagura jutted out her chin and walked forward till she was practically chest to chest with him.

"Bastard, do you think I'm scared of a punk like you? I'm going to teach you to respect your betters, boy." Sougo leaned forward so that their noses were just a breath apart. Kagura didn't dare to move an inch and tensed her jaw even more. She would be lying if she said she wasn't at least a little unsettled by the grin Sougo was wearing.

"Then let the game begin, China!"

Metal sang against metal as the area erupted in smoke.

 

* * *


	2. Good Things Come To Those Who Keep Track Of Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here's chapter two! Just a reminder that there are adult themes, profanity and violence in this story so please be aware of the rating. Thank you so much for the reviews! It really did give the inspiration and drive to write this. Also, this one is about 1000 words longer too! I hope I can deliver chapter 3 just as quickly! Again, feedback is always appreciated and fans the flames for my keyboard o/
> 
> Disclaimer: I hold no claim to ownership of the Gintama Franchise and furthermore make no money from writing or publishing this piece. This is a non-profit fan work.

 

* * *

Kagura's body hit the floor and rose back up. Her eyes were wide open in pain as she tried to grasp her bearings. Before she could settle her body was forcefully pinned to the ground with a knee on her stomach and hands pinning her wrists by her head. She struggled and tried to force her assailant off of her body but was unable to find the leverage to do so. She twisted and bucked trying to dislodge the sadist pinning her down but found that she was unable to find the momentum she needed to launch him away. A quick flash of silver appeared before her eyes as she felt the cold steel settle once more across her throat. Kagura pressed against the blade slightly, drawing a bead of blood as the blade broke the surface of her skin as she snarled into the face of the grinning sadist.

"Oh? Looks like you're down again. I'm starting to think you just like being under me." Sougo didn't flinch as Kagura continued attempting to shake him off. He enjoyed the feeling of her helpless beneath him and struggling. He leaned his face closer to hers still sporting his grin. Yato or not, it didn't matter. He wasn't going to give her an inch of leeway to break free. He had enjoyed the exchange of blows but now he wanted to move onto the next event. Of course, that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy watching her lose.

"Get off me! I swear I'm going to beat your ass so hard that you'll still be feeling it in the afterlife you bastard!" She tried to lift her leg to knee him between his but found that he had already pinned it with his knee. Try as she might, she couldn't find anything to grasp onto. She grew more erratic at the feeling of being trapped. Her body became taunt and she struggled harder to break free, not caring about the blade against her throat.

Sougo just watched it all with excitement. He could see her becoming increasingly frenzied as her actions became frantic and uncoordinated. The feeling of her body bucking up against his as he held her down had his blood racing. He was trying to remember why he had waited so long to do this. He bent his head lower until his face was mere inches from hers, his eyes shielded from view. "Enough, Kagura. You're only hurting yourself. It's okay to lose." He spoke in a low voice and for a moment Kagura stopped.

He had used her name. He never used her name. It was always China, idiot, stupid or a spur of the moment insult. She hesitated in her actions, unsure of why he would do something so out of character. She swallowed and prepared to ask him why he had done such but before she could do so, he raised his head and looked straight at her with his signature smirk. "A good slave should do as her master says." His eyes gleamed as they bore into her own. His tongue darted out to lick away the blood that had dripped down from a wound across his cheek. Kagura's gaze was fixed on him as she followed his actions.

She didn't know how to respond and was frozen in place. She wanted to scream at him and call him all the names she could think of but the weight pressed against her body reminded her that that was all she could do. She couldn't follow through on her threats if she couldn't move. She was loathed to give the sadist his win but short of just lying there till one of them caved, she preferred to reluctantly concede than have him touch her anymore. Her eyes narrowed as she scowled up at him. She let her head drop down to the ground as she turned and looked off to the side not saying anything. Her body went limp as she waited for him to remove himself.

Sougo knew that she was done and was disappointed that she had stopped struggling so quickly. He was hoping that she would try for just a little bit longer. He recognised her actions as that of one conceding but it wasn't enough. He wanted her to admit out loud that she had lost. "Is that it? What happened to sending me to the afterlife and impaling me with your umbrella? I guess your bark is all you have since your bite is non-existent." Kagura didn't respond and instead decided to just bite on her lip. She refused to give the sadist any more than he already had. She was done and wanted to go home.

Sougo noticed her biting her lip and had to stop himself from doing the same to her. She looked rather cute in her current position and he found himself drawn to her vulnerability. He understood that as a Yato she really could tear a person in two but when it came to him, she was no different to anyone else. He would rise to any challenge that interested him. Especially one with such an exclusive prize. He was more aware than he would like to be that Kagura was unlike anyone he had or would ever meet and that fact only served to encourage his desire. He no longer felt any resistance from her and released one of her wrists. He wasted no time in gripping her chin with said hand and turning her head to face him. Her eyes were open in shock as she was given no alternative other than to look straight at him.

"Are you done now, China?" His voice sounded heavy to her, like he was excited about something but she couldn't understand what. The fight was done, there was nothing left to do. She thought that maybe he was still riding the adrenaline rush from their skirmish. Well, whether he was still happy to go or not she was finished and wanted to leave. She would make him pay for this blow to her pride. The next time she saw him she would make him crawl through the mud! However, for now, she would just give him what he wanted so that she could leave. "Yes, I'm done."

Sougo smiled at her. It was a soft smile that Kagura thought looked out of place on his face. It was kind, gentle and terrified her. Okita Sougo did not smile at anyone. He was a sadistic man who enjoyed misleading people and causing them misfortune and pain. A smile like that could never be a good thing to witness. Sougo used his thumb to softly caress the side of her face as he took in the sight below him. "That's a good girl." Kagura couldn't explain what she felt in that moment but if she had to describe it, it felt like her stomach had clenched for a beat. Her eyes went wide as he removed himself from on top of her and stood up. He reached a hand out to her to help her stand. Kagura just looked at the hand but made no gesture to take it. "Stop wasting time". His dead pan voice was back and it knocked Kagura out of her daze. She returned once more to glaring as she grudgingly reached her hand to take his. He pulled her up to her feet in one move and allowed her time to steady herself. "Good girl."

There it was again. That clenching feeling. She had no idea what it was and didn't plan on finding out. Kagura immediately backed up a couple of steps as she brushed off her clothes. Gin-chan was not going to be happy if she tore them up again. She briefly checked herself over as she listened to Sougo sheathing his blade. She looked around herself to find her umbrella. She recalled dropping it in the fight when he had hit her wrist but couldn't remember where it had landed.

"I've got things to do today so starting from tomorrow, I want you to meet me in the park every morning at 11:00am." Kagura turned to face him. If it wasn't for the scuff marks on his clothes and the marks on his face and hands you wouldn't think that they had been fighting for the last hour or so. He was stood there with his hands in his pockets as usual. His trademark bored expression back on his face.

"Sorry, Idiot, but I wake up when I want to wake up. Also, the last thing I want to see in the morning is your bland face." She returned to the task of locating her umbrella. She caught site of it just behind the sadist. She walked forward without any hesitation. He'd already agreed that they were finished for today so she didn't have to worry about him launching any surprise attacks.

"Ne, China. Did I hit you that hard that you already forgot our deal?" Kagura turned to face him as she picked up her umbrella. She had forgotten that silly deal they made but she didn't think he was serious. She looked over his expression but could see no signs of teasing or humour. Surely the sadist couldn't be serious? Neither of them said anything further and Kagura could feel her uneasiness grow from the silence.

"I remember our deal, idiot. Surely you didn't think that I would be your slave for a month? Are you really that delusional?" Kagura covered her mouth with her hand to cover her laughing. "You poor fool! Did you think that I would turn into Sarutobi-san?!" Kagura continued to laugh and mock him to break the tension. She refused to look at him. Ignorance was bliss and if she didn't acknowledge him then she could just walk away.

"Oi, I never took you for a coward, China. Are you so weak as to run away from your word? Danna must either be disappointed or setting a bad example."

"What did you just say?! Gin-chan would kick your ass for saying that and I'd cheer him on as he did! Gin-chan always keeps his word and so do I! We'll do the stupid deal and I'll make sure you regret every minute of it!" Sougo started walking towards her as she finished her declaration. Kagura was so angry that she was panting. She wouldn't let anyone speak lowly of Gin-chan except for her, Shinpachi-kun, Otae-san, Tsukki-san and well… maybe a few people but not the sadist! Sougo stopped next to her.

"Good. Then as I said, I expect you to be here at 11:00am." He proceeded to walk away, heading in the direction of the Shinsengumi headquarters. He had only taken a few steps before pausing and turning back to her. "China, don't be late. If you're late, then I'll come looking for you. I wouldn't want to have to discipline you on the first day." With that he continued his way.

"Idiot! I already said I do what I want!" She shouted at his back but had no response. She stood there for a couple of seconds just watching him walk away. If he thought she would just bow to his whims then he had another thing coming. Kagura decided then in that moment that she would fight him every step of the way. He may have won the bet but that didn't mean she had to let him enjoy it. She may have lost the battle but the war was still on. With her resolve set, she turned towards the direction of the Yorozuya. She may have missed Otae-san but she could still have some fun with Shinpachi before he left for the evening.

 

* * *

 

Sougo finally made it back to the Shinsengumi headquarters and saw that everyone was returning to their duties from lunch. He checked his phone which read 3:39pm. He had made it in plenty of time. He headed straight to Kondo's office where he knew he would find the chief and vice-chief. He thought back on what had happened with the China girl and didn't try to hold back his smirk. He was looking forward to the month to come and hoped that she wouldn't just go along with it. It was no fun if she didn't struggle. He made it to the shoji to the office and opened it without knocking. "Hijikata-san. You're slacking off again. Lunch was over 9 minutes ago and you're not back to work. You have to commit seppuku." As he finished a sword flew past his head and lodged itself in the wall next to him.

"You idiot! I'm discussing work! Stop trying to kill me you bastard! Go commit seppuku yourself!" Hijikata was livid as he raised his fist towards Sougo. Kondo just laughed at their usual antics. It didn't matter how old they got the two would always have the same back and forth.

"We're pretty much done here now anyway. Ah, Sougo, did you only just get back from morning patrol?" Kondo scrunched his brow trying to recall when Sougo had left. He was pretty sure it was before he left to go to Shimura household.

"I don't like to slack off like some dirty vice-chiefs do."

"Idiot! That was aimed at me! That was totally aimed at me!"

"Not at all, dirty Hijikata-san. It was just a general statement."

"There it was again! And you were napping! I can see your mask hanging outside of your pocket! Working hard my ass!" Sougo quickly pushed the mask deeper into his pocket and looked at up the ceiling innocently. Kondo continued to laugh as Hijikata threw threats at the first captain.

"Sougo-kun, do you actually require anything from Hijikata-kun now?"

"Mm. I need to discuss squad patrol districts for the next couple of weeks. I want to get everything in order but it's hard when the dirty vice chief is too lazy."

"Bastard! Who are you calling dirty?!" Hijikata launched to his feet and made to move towards Sougo. He paused to calm himself, exhaling a calming breath. He put his hands in his pockets as he got ready to leave. "We can finish this later, Kondo-san. It won't take me long to finish the plans."

"No rush, Hijikata-kun!" Kondo waved his hand up and down. If it wasn't for Hijikata's control he was sure that both he and Sougo would be no different to shish kebabs. "We can discuss it this evening." Hijikata just nodded his head and proceeded to walk out of the room grabbing his sword on the way. He made his way to his own office without calling for Sougo to follow. As he went to sit down at his desk, he looked to see Sougo stood just outside the shoji staring at his phone.

"Damn it. I was wrong." Hijikata squinted his eyes at Sougo in confusion. The man had muttered it to himself but what was he so concerned about? He had come back late from his patrol and even though neither had drawn attention to it he was covered in marks. Had Sougo run into trouble on his patrol?

"Sougo, what's going on? You look like someone gave you trouble." Sougo just tutted and put his phone back in his pocket. At least he had time to sort things out with Hijikata. He ignored the question and just sat down. Hijikata didn't push the issue and continued with gathering his equipment. They discussed the distribution of the squads and what the current ongoing concerns within each district were.

"You can write this up and distribute it to the captains. I need to get back to my paperwork." Hijikata reached for the nearest stack of papers on his desk and sighed internally. This is not what he thought being a samurai would entail. Sougo stood up at the dismissal and made his way to leave.

"I'll have these done by this evening. Enjoy your paperwork and go die, Hijikata-san". Hijikata just rolled his eyes at the usual goodbye and started reading though the first page. Sougo made his way to his own quarters to complete his task. It should only take him an hour or two to finish and once he was done he could plan his day with Kagura tomorrow. He wasn't sure yet how far he wanted to push her and had to be sure not to go too far. Good things come to those who wait after all. As he entered the courtyard he could hear an explosion go off behind him. "I guess it was 4:00pm after all."

 

* * *

 

The next day found Sougo sat and waiting in the same park he had fought Kagura in yesterday. It had just gone past 11:00am and there was no sign of her. He gazed up at the sky looking for all intents and purposes bored but in his mind he was anything but. He had given a lot of thought to how today would progress and he was more than a eager to get started. He knew she wouldn't just follow his orders and couldn't wait to force her to concede. Yesterday had thrilled him and left his body humming. He expected no less from today.

The only problem so far was that she hadn't shown up. Sougo looked around the area once more and then back at his phone. 11:09am. Kagura was late. Sougo stood and stretched his arms. Placing his hands in his pockets he made his way out of the park.

It was hunting time.

 

* * *

 


	3. Chapter 3: Remember that breakfast is the most important meal of the day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say thank you for the interest in this story and a massive thank you to MakerOfWoo for the kind review. This is my first story so it gives me confidence to hear such kind words! O/

 

* * *

 

Kagura yawned as she rolled over in her bed. She stretched her arms above her head as she woke up. She couldn't remember what time she had fallen asleep last night but recalled hearing Gintoki stumbling in. She rolled over and slid the door to her closet open, swinging her legs over the edge as she did so. As she looked around the room and spotted Shinpachi sweeping the floor with his mp3 on loud enough that she could hear the music. She looked to the sofa and wasn't surprised when she found Gintoki reading his JUMP. She yawned once more as she hopped off the edge of her bed into the room. "Good morning."

Only Gintoki responded with a monotonous "morning". Kagura walked over to where Shinpachi was sweeping, took a deep breath and shouted, "Good morning!" Shinpachi jumped and turned to face the grinning Yato. He grabbed his chest as he panted from the shock he had received. Between her and Gintoki he would be grateful to make it to thirty.

"Kagura-chan! What the hell is wrong with you?!" He pointed his broom at her in a manner that reminded her so much of Otae. She just smiled even wider at him as she jumped onto the sofa opposite Gintoki. She didn't bother responding to Shinpachi knowing that he was just having a moment. Kami smite her for interrupting his precious Otsu-chan time. She tilted her head as she looked at the cover of the samurai's JUMP.

Gintoki turned the page he was reading as he clicked his tongue in agitation. "It's too early for you two to be disturbing Gin-Chan. Don't you two have lives?" He was still suffering from his session with Hasegawa last night. It had started out so well and he thought he'd hit the jackpot but then that damn Madao had gotten involved and spread his bad luck like a disease. Still, once he had gotten home all was well. That is, until he awoke to a high pitched Shinpachi complaining about the state of the Yorozuya. Gintoki sighed to himself. Being a boss was hard work.

"Asks the guy who hasn't moved for the last 2 hours?! Are you even reading that JUMP? I'm pretty sure I've seen you read the same 4 pages over and over! Maybe if YOU had a life, you wouldn't get drunk at night and leave a mess for me to clean up!" During Shinpachi's rant, Kagura just merely hummed and nodded in agreement. She had no problem with Gintoki's routine but didn't enjoy having to listen to Shinpachi whine about it every other day.

"What was that, mother? I can't hear you when you break the sound barrier. Gin-chan has a very important life but you kids aren't ready to understand the ways of the night. I'm the Gin-chan this town needs, not the ones it deserves." A dustpan flew across the room and hit Gintoki between the eyes. His head was knocked back and the JUMP magazine slipped from his grasp. Gintoki grabbed his nose with both hands as he glared accusingly at Shinpachi.

"I'm not a mother and like hell we don't understand the night! You just make poor decisions that you can't remember in the morning!" Kagura rose and threw the pillow next to her at Gintoki. The force of the throw manged to knock his head back once more as he continued to grip his nose with one hand. He looked at both seriously.

"Once a samurai has made a decision, he can only look forward and never look back." Another pillow struck his face.

"Bullshit! Don't act like this is your bushido! You can't look back because you can't remember!"

"Now now, Patsuan! You're being harsh on old Gin-chan! It's hard work defending the streets of-"Gintoki didn't have time to finish as a broom was launched across the room once more at his face. Shinpachi brushed off his hands as he shook his head. A small smile flashed across his face as Kagura seated herself once more and he joined her.

"Ne, Megane, where's breakfast?" When Kagura woke up she could usually smell food cooking or at least the remnants of said food being cooked. She looked around the room but could see no evidence of such.

"Uh, Kagura-chan, you missed breakfast. Gin-san was asking about lunch just before you woke up." He laughed uneasily at the girl. It wasn't unusual for Kagura to sleep in. Sometimes she rivalled Gintoki with her sleep schedule but today she had slept in later than usual.

"Oh." There was a pause in the room. "Ne, Megane, where's lunch?" Shinpachi nearly fell off the sofa. Shinpachi righted himself on the sofa as a vein throbbed above his eyebrow.

"Are you even going to acknowledge that you've missed the entire morning?! And don't call me Megane! I'm a person!" Kagura crossed her arms and stared with conviction at Shinpachi.

"Once a girl has made a decision, she can only look forward and never look back." She nodded as if reaffirming her statement. Gintoki mimicked her actions and grunted in agreement. "Now, lunch?"

Shinpachi couldn't restrain his eye from twitching at the two. The two were like mockingbirds sometimes. Repeating whatever trash the other said. It was like a group of high school girls who went everywhere together. "I have to go back to the temple to help Anego. You'll both have to fend for yourselves today. I'm sure if you work together, you'll make it to morning." He looked up into the horrified faces of the other two. It was as though he had told them that they were going to die today. Gintoki rose suddenly from his seat and left the room. Shinpachi turned back to face Kagura whose face was still frozen in a state of dread.

Gintoki returned to the room and cried out in victory. "Don't worry, Kagura-chan! Gin-chan won't let you starve. We'll just chain Patsuan here so he can't leave." All occupants in the room looked to the chair that held Shinpachi's glasses bound with a chain. Gintoki grinned and held his chin feeling rather proud of his quick thinking.

"Idiot! Why did you chain just my glasses?!" Shinpachi seethed at the proud samurai.

"Ooh! Good thinking, Gin-chan! Now Megane can't leave! Good job!" The too high fived each other as a dark cloud appeared above Shinpachi's head.

 

* * *

 

Kagura was outside about an hour later. After Shinpachi had left, Gintoki had told her to just go buy herself some food for dinner and to bring back a strawberry parfait for him. She walked cheerily down the street with her umbrella twisting in her hands. She hummed a song to herself as she took in the store fronts. As she passed a boutique, she was captivated by the bright red cheongsam displayed in the store window.

"Ooh! It's so pretty! I wonder if Gin-chan would get it for me!" Her face was pressed up against the glass as her eyes were glued to the item. Her previous task forgotten, she deliberated whether she should go in and have a look at what else they have. If she starts her asking price off high, Gintoki may be inclined to go for the lower amount. Her eyes scanned the other items that had been displayed alongside the dress. Everything looked so pretty to her! She continued to "ooh" and "ah" as her gaze wandered. Decision made, she straightened up to enter the store. Even if Gintoki didn't buy her anything, she could still try some things on.

As she made to enter the store, she felt a tug against the collar of her dress. She attempted to turn her head back to look at who had dared to grab her but was unable to turn her head far enough. Before she could lash out, she heard the person speak to her and her body froze.

"Ne, China. Where have you been? Wasting a police officer's time is a crime you know." Sougo's voice had his usual tone but she noticed that something seemed off. She tried to reach behind her to grab his hand but as she did so, she felt herself fall backwards as he tugged once more. He didn't wait for her to recover and instead chose to just drag her through the street. "Looks like I'll have to arrest you for disturbing the peace."

"What the hell?! I'm hardly the one disturbing the peace you damn brat! You're dragging me as though I were a criminal. Let me go, sadist!" Kagura tried to loosen his grip but was also trying to steady her umbrella as he dragged her along. She felt her anger building as the police officer maintained his pace. "What the hell are you pulling me for?! Is the only way your ugly mug can get a girl is by forcing her?! The second you let go I'm going to launch you into the horizon!"

"Now you're hurting this police officer's feelings too. You'll need to be locked up. It's too heinous a crime." Sougo just smirked as he felt her pull harder against his hold. His annoyance had greatly diminished when he had grabbed hold of her. He felt as though he'd been walking around for hours trying to find her. He was still irked that she had not shown up as he had instructed. He wouldn't admit it out loud but he had been more than just a little disappointed and angry that she hadn't made an appearance. Two feelings that were increasing as it became apparent that she had forgotten about their meeting.

"Let me go! Let me go you bloody sadist! When I'm done with you not even zensu beans will be able to repair the damage!" She stopped her tirade to catch the umbrella that had nearly flown out of her hands. The sadist truly would be the death of her if he made her lose it. She thought how much she would enjoy watching her Gin-chan murder the brat in revenge for her demise.

Sougo didn't respond straight away to her threats. He had been thinking during his search for her how he was going to deal with the China girl. It seemed she wasn't taking their deal seriously. A fact that he planned to rectify immediately. "Did you forget what I told you yesterday, China?"

Kagura just blinked as she remembered what had happened. She had flashbacks of their fight, their back and forth and him winning their little game. She clicked her tongue and looked off to the side. She remembered that he had told her to meet him this morning. She had intended to turn up just to prove to the brat that she wasn't a coward but as things turned out, she had just slept late. Probably because she was trying to anticipate what the next day would have in store for her. "I remember, idiot. I also remember saying that I do what I want."

"That wasn't part of the deal. The deal was that you were to do what I said with no exceptions and you agreed. I told you that if you were late that I would discipline you." He paused for a moment taking in his surroundings. He had reached a quite part in the back of the park outside the shopping district. He made his way towards one of the old looking benches that appeared to be shaded by the trees. Kagura didn't offer a retort. She didn't know how to respond. She kept thinking that this was all a silly little game but she was starting to realise that to Sougo this was no game. He was serious and fully intended to collect his promise from their deal.

Just when she had started to rethink the situation, she heard Sougo speak once more. "Looks like you'll have to learn the hard way." She felt him tug her body up and to his side, dropping her umbrella in the confusion. She tried to correct her footing as she felt him reach around to grab her wrist bringing it to the small of her back with the other one. She tried to tug forward but with the way he was throwing her around she felt as though she were on a carousel. He restrained both of her hands with one of his as he sat back on the bench he had dragged her towards pulling her so that she was bent over his lap. Kagura felt the wind knocked out of her as she was unable to cushion her fall. She attempted to spring up but felt the elbow of the arm holding her hands press between her should blades pinning her down.

Sougo grinned down at the sight of her. He knew that she was confused by his actions but wasn't concerned. She would understand his intent soon enough.

"You bastard! Get the fuck off me you pervert!" He adjusted her so that her feet could barely touch the floor. It wouldn't do to give her something to push against with her strength after all. Sougo continued to look down at the prize in his lap. His earlier disappoint forgotten as his eagerness to continue increased. He felt her actions grow frantic and desperate and thought that he had best do something to calm her down before she went berserk. Moving his elbow from between her shoulders Sougo kept pressure on her wrists but used his other hand to stroke up and down her back. Kagura became still at his ministrations and was again confused by his actions. He seemed like he was comforting her but why? This was all the damn sadists fault!

"Oi. What do you think you're doing?" Kagura's voice was muffled due to her head hanging low. Sougo carefully watched the amanto to monitor her response. He spoke in a soft voice but it was strong with his resolve and determination.

"I told you I would discipline you, China. If I don't follow through on my threats then you won't take this seriously." He didn't see any response from the girl and so continued. "I'm going to spank you five times. Be grateful it's not 11 since that was the time I told you. You should be grateful that I'm being so kind to you after you disobeyed me." Kagura was speechless. She couldn't- she wouldn't believe this was happening. Was the sadist really going to do what he said or was he calling her bluff? She wanted to say something. Ask him something. Just do something! As she went back and forth in her mind, she the felt the hand stroking her back switch hands with the one holding her wrists as the weight between her shoulder blades returned. Kagura put two and two together and realised what was coming.

"No, wait-ah!" Her plea fell on deaf ears as she felt and heard Sougo's hand connect with her rear. She didn't do anything for a moment before she felt the sting from the strike. Her body was immobile as she processed what had just happened. She hadn't tried to move away from him. She just lay there processing how she felt. She was confused by the feelings in her stomach. As she contemplated what these feelings meant she felt his hand strike once more and cried out.

Sougo watched her closely as he carried out his actions. Her cries had been expected but the silence that followed was not. He wondered if perhaps he was taking things too far. He couldn't see her eyes, only the lower part of her face. Sougo may have been in heaven but he didn't want to push the China girl too far. Kagura felt weightless in Sougo's lap. The clenching feeling in her stomach had moved downwards towards her more intimate areas upon feeling the second hit. She couldn't explain why she felt the way she did. She bit her lip as she waited for the next strike.

Sougo saw her actions and realised that the girl was restraining herself. He smirked at the challenge. With no doubt in his mind he brought his hand down slightly harder and felt her lurch forward. Kagura was thankful that she had bitten her lip. She felt heat pool between the junction of her thighs as she was pushed forward against his lap. Before she had time to process what had happened, she felt him strike her again. Kagura grunted as the hit sent shocks to her core. She was getting excited but she didn't know what for. She felt him deliver the last slap and couldn't restrain the slight moan that slipped from between her lips. She had never felt like this before. She felt hot, excited and like a ball of energy. She didn't move from where she was. She waited for some kind of indication from Sougo on what to do next as she felt as though she had gone down the rabbit hole.

Sougo licked his lips at the site before him. He never thought such a thing was possible. Here was the China girl, splayed over his lap, her body soft and limp. He moved his hand to its previous position on her back and he once again made comforting motions up and down. He had always known she was a tsundere but had no idea she could be so submissive. He tried to maintain focus but that was tough to do with the pressure of his straining hard on. He had nearly lost control when he heard her moan. It was so soft that he had nearly missed it but the pitch had reached his ears. He redirected his movements to the back of her head. "That's it. Good girl. All done." This choice of actions he had decided to follow on a whim had opened the door to so many possibilities. He had new goals for this month with Kagura and if things went his way, it would not end after a month.

He released her wrists and grabbed her by the shoulders. He helped her get up and intended to sit her on his lap but she stood straight up instead. She looked off to the side, her face matching her hair. She was rubbing her hand against her arm waiting for him to say something. Kagura hadn't felt this unsure for a very long time. Why was it that things always become so complicated around the sadist?

Sougo stood too and subtly readjusted himself. He took his phone out of his pocket and aimed it at Kagura. She heard a click and turned towards the source. She watched as Sougo innocently filed away the photo he had just taken of her.

"Bastard! What the hell was that?!"

"A picture, China. Have you not seen a camera before? Is Danna not showing you the wonders of the world?" He noted how her eyes seemed more focused now and the red was starting to ease away from her face. He was glad he had gotten a picture of her when he had.

"I know what a camera is, idiot! I meant did you just take a picture of me! Why?!" Kagura was still feeling wound up from his actions moments ago. She was confused, angry and something else that she didn't know. She would ask Gintoki about it later.

He flipped his phone closed and returned it to his pocket. "Why were you late in the first place?" He looked at her face, his expression back to its usual self. She hated how he didn't seem to be affected by what had occurred between them. She snorted as she looked to the ground. If he wasn't going to acknowledge it, then she wouldn't either.

"If you must know you damn brat I was going to get food as I slept late and missed breakfast." Sougo was still unimpressed. She had no business sleeping late today. He'd have to get her an alarm clock so that she didn't have an excuse.

"Wow, China. How are you still functioning? One meal? You poor creature." He turned and started to walk back in the direction of the shopping district. "If you want to eat then hurry up. Either come with me now or don't eat at all." She stared at his back unsure of what to say. Today was a weird day. She was sure that she must have been dreaming. Did the sadist just offer to buy her food?

Sougo stopped and looked back at the blank faced girl. "Well?" Kagura kicked her foot against the dirt as she thought about her options. She doubted the sadist was going to leave her alone for the day so she may as well get something out of this. She also had to plot her revenge for what he had just done to her. Gintoki had always told her to give twice as good as you get after all.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming. Don't get your panties in a twist." She bent down to collect her umbrella, brushed off her clothes from his rough treatment and walked up to his side. She could feel his eyes following her every move as he watched her. She felt like she was being hunted. She cursed the sadist in her mind. Could he not ease off for one minute? She stopped to look up at him. Why wasn't he moving?

"Ne, China?"

"Yeah, sadist?"

"You're still blushing."


	4. The Birds And The Bees Is Just A Really Confusing Metaphor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has been reading the story. I'm happy that people are enjoying it! Thank you for the kudos and the comments! They add fuel to my drive :D Just a heads up that I may need to change the rating of this story to E depending on how the next chapter plays out. You'll see what I mean at the end of this chapter >=D
> 
> Please enjoy this chapter!

 

He had never thought it possible. After all this time, he thought that he would never experience this feeling. He felt as though the floor had disappeared from underneath him and that the world was being erased. His mind was devoid of all thought as he tried to comprehend what was happening to him. He felt that he would come undone at the seams. Okita Sougo was speechless.

He sat stupefied as the petite, short amanto devoured twice her own weight in food. He watched on in silence as he attempted over and over in his mind to deduce where the food was being deposited. She did not pause. There was no hesitation. Kagura took each dish in stride as the vacuum that was her mouth inhaled their contents. Sougo was torn between disgust and an odd sense of being impressed by the girl's abilities. As she finished the final bowl, Kagura let out a conclusive belch and reclined back against the booth. As she did so, Sougo could see the crowning of her stomach over the edge of the table. He realised in that moment that he was witnessing one of the great wonders of the world.

Kagura looked bored as she attempted to pick something out from between her teeth." What are we doing today then?"

"I was thinking of going cheese rolling and taking you as the cheese."

"You're hilarious, brat. You should quit your day job and become a comedian. Kami knows you couldn't do any worse than you already are, tax robber." Kagura's facial expression was almost a mirror of Sougo's. She didn't care for his belittling and now that she was done eating she had grown tired of his company. She could quite comfortably go home and sleep off her bounty in the comfort of her closet.

Sougo looked out of the window and placed his head in his upturned palm. "Pigs shouldn't oink at hungry wolves, China." He didn't turn to look at her as he heard her slam her hands down onto the table.

"Who the hell are you calling a pig, you bastard?!" Try as she might, Kagura could not keep her cool around him. Sougo was the kind of guy who was innately an asshole and a 24/7 one at that. One had to be prepared always for his barbs and actions lest they fall victim to his passing fancies.

"I never said anything about you being a pig, Miss Piggy."

"It's not the first time you've pulled that line, brat! You might call yourself a wolf but you're just a mangy mutt." Kagura nodded and felt quite proud of herself for her rebuttal. She recalled the first time he had used the analogy was during the attack on the Shogun's home. She remembered getting angry when he had said it and this time was no different.

Kagura tried to take a deep breath to calm her anger. Today had already been an eventful day and she had no desire to drag it out any longer than it needed to be. She decided to ignore the sadist's attempts at baiting her and opted to instead address the issue at hand. "Just what are you up to, Sadist? What's the fastest way out of this situation for me?"

"Fastest?" Sougo raised an eyebrow. "There is no way to speed this up, China. A month is a month no matter how you look at it. Who knows, loosen up a bit and you might enjoy it." he grinned at her from across the table. "Keep glaring at me like that and your face may and up stuck that way."

"Why the hell do you care about my face? Besides, what exactly are you getting out of this? Why are you doing this?" Her face softened as she asked the question. As angry as she was she was genuinely curious as to why he would make such a demand for a bet. She knew the brat was sadistic but this was unusual even for him. She had known the captain for almost as long as she had been on Earth and was no fool. She was well aware that while Okita Sougo had his quirks he was a dangerous man and not to be taken lightly.

"Do my reasons really matter considering it's already been agreed on? Or are you looking for a reason to bail out, China?" He turned to look out of the window. Kagura was sure that she saw him sigh. Just as she was about to respond he continued speaking. "I'm bored, China. Things have been quiet lately and I need new toys."

"Is that it?"

"Yep, that's it.

"That's the most asinine excuse I've ever heard." Sougo just grinned into his hand. Of course, there was more to it than that but he wasn't going to tell her yet. Where would the fun be if he did? He was more than happy to let her ponder the reasons for herself. At least that way he could watch her squirm. "I've said it once and I'll say it again. I am not a coward. I'm going to play your game and I'm going to beat you at it. Just don't come crying to me when you can't hold your head up in front of the Shinsengumi."

"Whatever you say, China. I'm glad to see you taking responsibility. I would even go as far as to say you've almost grown up a little bit." Forgetting her previous anger at him Kagura couldn't stop a look of surprise from overcoming her face. "Almost." Sougo Grinned as the surprise dropped from her face and returned once more to an expression conveying annoyance.

"Whatever, sadist. As I said, we'll play your stupid game."

"You're already enjoying the game and we both know it, China." He folded his arms and leaned closer towards her across the table. Kagura remained in the position she was not willing to back down. "I felt how you shuddered. How you tried to press yourself further into me. How you tried to hide your moans by biting your lip but couldn't keep it in. You can deny it as much as you want, China, but you enjoyed it. You can lie to yourself but you can't lie to me. You're looking forward to this month as much as I am and I don't plan on it being a disappointment." He licked his bottom lip as he stared into her eyes. Kagura watched how it glided across his lip and followed it back into his mouth. Sougo chuckled drawing her attention back to his eyes. He was laughing at her and she knew it. Rather than continue on the track the conversation was currently running on, Kagura thought it best to once again get back to the issue.

"Pft, Yeah yeah. Whatever helps you sleep at night, sadist. If we're really doing this we need to set up some rules otherwise I'm not playing." She hoped the look on her face was one that conveyed a strong conviction. Sougo leant back into the Booth and considered her words.

"I don't think so, China. You had your chance to set rules when we made the bet. I stated my terms and you agreed." Kagura made to interrupt him but he raised a hand stopping her. "However, I will be merciful and allow you to make three rules, within reason and with my agreement, that you may implement." Kagura looked down to the table to consider her options. She could push the issue and try to force more from him but decided to take this as a small blessing.

"Fine. I'll accept your so called 'mercy'. My first rule is that no one can know. I would rather spend an eternity in hell with Freaza than have anyone know about this stupid arrangement of yours." She paused and waited to see if he would refuse her first request.

"I assumed that went without saying but sure, that can be your first rule." While not showing it externally, Kagura was berating herself internally. In her paranoia, she had wasted a rule. She didn't bother asking him for a redo feeling that he would already hold these three rules over her.

"Second rule is that this cannot interfere with work. Ignoring the fact that if it did it would be a sure sign that there was something going on, my loyalty is to the Yorozuya before this stupid bet." Sougo just looked at her in silence for a moment. Kagura grew nervous thinking that he would decline the rule. Sougo, however, was more confused with how tame the rules were. He had expected her demands to be broader and in relevance to the premise of the game and its physical aspects but instead, she seemed to be solely focused on how it would affect others rather than herself. He was not going to complain however. Far be it from him to put a wall in front of his own desires. If the China girl was too naive to see the bigger picture then that was on her. He was more than happy to reap the benefits of her poor choices.

"Sure, China. That's fine by me. So, what is this magical third rule?" Kagura was surprised that he had agreed. What with being a sadist and all she had thought that one of his primary objectives would be to ridicule her. She didn't know what he was planning and she was running out of time to work out what his intentions were. This was feeling less like a game and more like a game of Cat and Mouse and pigs would fly before she would be the mouse.

"For my third rule, I withhold the right to outright refuse one order with no discussion." She braced herself again. She was confident that he would not simply agree to this one. After all, this rule contradicted the very nature of the game. She hoped that by only requesting just the one time, he would be more inclined to accept it. She only needed one get out of jail card. Should she have to use it, she would make sure that was the end of the game period. Sougo remained silent once more. While this rule wasn't ideal for him, it still wouldn't affect what he had planned. He used all of his control to prevent the grin that he was holding back from gracing his face.

"Very well. I will agree to the third rule. Are we in agreement for the rest of this month?" Kagura was unsure. The fact that he had agreed to all three rules without any discussion was alarming for her. She had expected some kind of resistance but had received none. Now that she had set all three rules, she would just have to proceed with caution for the duration of the game.

"Fine. Then what do you want from me today?"

Sougo raised his hand to request the bill. He needed to get back to the compound before Hijikata could spam him with calls. Kagura waited patiently for him to finish paying. She didn't want to get stuck with the bill after all. She wouldn't admit it out loud but she had gone above and beyond what she would normally eat. If the sadist was foolish enough to offer then she would make sure there was a smoking hole in his wallet for it. Win the battles and you win the war. After thanking the waitress, Sougo stood to leave and gestured Kagura to follow with his hand. They paused outside the store while Sougo took out his phone. After frowning at the screen, he typed a message as he spoke to her.

"I have to go back to the compound as some of us have real work-"

"Oi! I work too you asshole!"

"-so we'll have to meet up this evening. Meet me in the central park at 7:15pm and we'll go from there." Before she could say anything, he finished his message and put his phone away. He made his way towards her to walk down the street and stopped next to her. He leant down and spoke to her in a low voice.

"As much as I enjoyed earlier, don't be late this time, China. I have things I want to do and won't be happy if you mess that up. I was merciful once but don't tempt me." He straightened up and continued on his way once more as though everything was normal. Kagura stood there processing what he had just said. She was unsure just what she had gotten herself into this time but she wasn't going to back down. Not now, not ever. She proceeded to walk in the opposite direction to the one Sougo had taken.

It would take her a little longer to get back to the Yorozuya but she refused to walk the same way as the sadist. Besides, she could do with a stroll around the block to work off her lunch.

 

* * *

 

"Giiiiiiiin-chaaaaaaaan! I'm home!" Kagura bounced through the door as she heard the drumming of feet coming towards her. Kagura opened her arms wide as the giant Inugami leapt forward. She swung around his neck as she laughed. "Have you been a good boy, Sadaharu? I bet you have! Yes, you have!" She then proceeded to tackle the him to the floor as they playfully fought.

"Come on, Kagura-chan. You haven't even been home one minute and the whole house is shaking. Gin-chan needs his midday nap you know." She stood up and walked into the main room and saw Gintoki scratching his head with his JUMP issue resting across his face.

"Gin-chan, you haven't moved since I left!" She made her way to the adjacent sofa and sat down with Sadaharu laying at her feet. She scratched the Inugami's ears and he soon settled himself into a comfortable position for the afternoon. "If you don't start doing something, you're going to get old and fat in no time."

Gintoki didn't move from his position and chose to merely alternate his crossed legs. "You're so harsh, Kagura-chan! Gin-chan needs his beauty sleep too. Besides, I'll move once you tell me who put the bun in your oven. Kids grow up so fast these days I swear-". Gintoki never got to finish his statement as he felt himself being lifted. "What? Am I floating? Kagura-chan? Is this that leviosa thing? Kagura-ch-GAH!" All that could be heard in the room following the loud crash was Kagura's heavy breathing and the sound of Gintoki's limp form sliding down the wall. A hand rose from what was remaining of the sofa waving a white tissue. "It was just a joke, Kagura-chan. A joke! You know Gin-chan would never believe you would do such a thing. You'd break-"

"Shut up! I don't want to hear any more! And why are you napping? You napped before I left!"

"That was my morning nap."

"Why do you need two naps a day?!"

"I don't." Gintoki's head appeared above the wreckage.

"Then why are you-"

"I need 4 naps a day. 5 if we've done a job the day before." Kagura just squinted her eyes at him. While the samurai was the most amazing fighter she knew and the closet thing she had to a father figure, she sometimes forgot how lazy and often times idiotic the samurai was. "I need my morning, midday, afternoon and pre-night nap. It's how Gin-chan stays in shape!"

"That makes no sense."

"You wouldn't be able to understand it till you practiced it! Besides, what did happen to you Kagura-chan? I know I said to get yourself some lunch but I meant for today, not the week." Gintoki slowly climbed out of the wreckage. He was going to have to replace the sofa once again. He really needed to remember that the Yato girl had no restraint when she was angry. Pachinko would have to wait it seemed.

"Relax, Gin-chan. I didn't pay for it, someone else did. I'm not stupid ya know."

Looks like Pachinko was back on the cards.

Gintoki paused for a moment processing what she had just said. "Ne? Someone else paid? For food? Just you and someone else? Who was it Kagura-chan? Who?!" Gintoki had grown more dramatic as the words kept spewing from his mouth. Kagura sighed and fell back into her original place on the sofa.

"You're going to give yourself a heart attack old man. I saw the sadist when I was out and he owed me one." She couldn't resist a small smile as Gintoki collapsed next to her. All the images of Umibozu fled from his mind. He didn't need those kinds of possibilities haunting him.

"Souichirou-kun? That's okay then. As long as the tax robber was being a gentleman. Next time, bring a parfait home, yeah?" Kagura just looked down at her lap. She wanted to ask Gintoki about the feelings she had been experiencing but was struggling to find a way to bring it up. Considering his responses so far, she was having second thoughts. Maybe she would be better off asking Otae-san about her feelings? "Kagura-chan? What's wrong? You have that deep look on your face that character's get when they are about to get some character development."

"Gin-chan, what does love feel like?"

Gintoki was going to respond in his usual overdramatic way but her face held nothing but seriousness. Gintoki leaned forward and scratched the back of his head again. "Well, I guess it's a little different for everyone. Generally, I would say that love is when you feel so connected to someone that you would do anything within your power for them. No matter what they asked for or what it would cost you, you would go above and beyond to make that person smile because when they do, it makes you feel like you're floating on air and that you're indestructible." Kagura didn't say anything. That didn't sound anything like what she had felt with the sadist. If anything, she was more than happy to spite him and aggravate him in any way possible. "But a lot of people mistake lust and love."

Kagura turned to look at Gintoki. "Lust?" She looked confusedly at Gintoki wondering how the two were mistaken for each other. Did they not go hand in hand?

"A lot of people think they're in love but really they just have the hots for the other person. They'll do anything they can to be with that person because they are attracted to them but once they work it out of their system then they realise that they don't hold any attachment to that person and they often drift apart. They sometimes get the feelings mixed up because even when you lust after someone, you still get butterflies in your stomach and get excited when you see them or do certain things." Gintoki stopped his explanation and turned to see if Kagura was following. She appeared to be deep in thought and carefully considering his words.

"How do they do it?"

"Eh? Do what?"

"How do they 'work it out of their system'?" Gintoki just blinked at her. He had no idea how to explain what he felt was obvious. He awkwardly laughed as he scooted slightly away from her. He took a deep breath. He was an adult and he could have this conversation with her. He'd faced far worse and lived to talk about it.

"Well, you see, Kagura-chan, when people feel like that they usually engage in intimate activities-"

"Sex?"

"Err, yeah. They have sex. Once they do and their feelings start to lessen, their interest in the person usually does too." Kagura hummed as she fell silent again. Gintoki felt that he should say something. He knew she was at the age when males would had already started taking an interest in her and certain…urges, so to speak, would rise to the surface. As he prepared his speech about being responsible and saving yourself for the one you love, Kagura got up from the sofa and walked towards the exit, calling Sadaharu as she went.

"I'm going to take Sadaharu for a walk. I won't be too long, Gin-chan! Try to move your legs to get your blood flowing again!" And with that she dashed out of the door and down the steps. Gintoki chased after her and watched her running down the street from the balcony.

"Oi! What about my parfait, Kagura-chan?!"

 

* * *

 

Kagura had taken her walk to consider what Gintoki had said and how it applied to her situation. She deduced that, from what he had explained, she was either attracted to the Shinsengumi captain or at the very least she was attracted to the things that he did. It was a hard fact to swallow and she refused to ever tell the sadist such a thing. He would have a field day if he knew how she felt when he did those things to her. Then again, from what he had said in the restaurant, he already knew.

" _I felt how you shuddered. How you tried to press yourself further into me. How you tried to hide your moans by biting your lip but couldn't keep it in. You can deny it as much as you want, China, but you enjoyed it. You can lie to yourself but you can't lie to me."_

She sighed. Maybe the sadist knew her better than she knew herself. She considered the best way to handle the situation. She had already sworn to uphold her end and she would but maybe the sadist was right. Like Gintoki said, people had urges and maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to indulge once in a while. At least with the sadist, there would be no feelings involved and she already had his word that no one would find out. She always had her get out of jail card too if things became too much.

She decided that she would see how things went. Maybe she would learn something new about herself. Maybe she would have fun. If nothing else, she would hopefully get some new dirt on the captain. She grinned at the thoughts of blackmail. Maybe she had an S streak herself. Knowing her luck, she had picked it up from Gintoki.

With her mind settled, she had made her way home. She needed to settle Sadaharu as well as get ready for the evening to come. She wondered what he had planned.

 

* * *

 

Sougo was genuinely surprised. He didn't think that the girl would be on time let alone get there before him. She was a quick learner apparently. He smirked as he made his way towards where she was standing staring up at the sky.

"Yo." She turned to face him. He noted that she was wearing a white cheongsam as opposed to her usual red outfit. He nodded his head in approval. While it hugged her form the same way as her other one, the white seemed to accentuate her curves more. The way it smoothed down her sides and over hips before splitting to reveal her long flawless pale legs. The way it strained around her chest and accentuated their round and full appearance. Before his eyes could travel anymore, she drew his attention back to her face.

"See something you like, sadist?" If Sougo could have applauded himself, he would have. He had managed to maintain his bored facial expression since greeting her and it had yet to slip.

"You brush up well, China. You did all this for me? Your master is touched." As expected, he watched as the smirk dropped from her face and a vein throbbed on her forehead.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?!" He walked past her and made his way towards the exit of the park. He could hear Kagura stomping behind him. He slowed his pace slightly to allow her time to catch up.

They walked in silence for a little while as Kagura calmed her temper. They had hardly spoken and she was ready to maim the brat. She wished she had brought her umbrella. She could have put it to good use if she had.

Eventually, the silence was starting to unnerve her. It was bad enough that she had no idea where they were going but on top of that, he hadn't even attempted to speak to her since they had met up. She noticed that he was still in his uniform and in an attempt to spark a conversation, she asked him about it.

"I didn't have time to change. It wouldn't look very good if I turned up late after telling you off, would it? Besides, I usually wear it anyway. It lets people know that if they piss me off that they're in trouble." She pointedly ignored the evil grin that he wore. If it wasn't for the fact that he had a history, she'd swear he was a Yato from the bloodlust she sensed from him sometimes.

Before she could continue the small talk, she took notice of the buildings that they were passing. She recognised them but couldn't recall why she did. As they walked on, the area became increasingly familiar to her and she subconsciously moved closer to the captain. He felt her bump into him and looked at her face. Her eyes were darting quickly as she tried to piece together where she was. She noticed that there was a warm yellow glow that was growing in intensity in front of her. She stopped walking forward and grabbed the back of Sougo's jacket.

"Oi, sadist. Where the hell are we going?" Sougo turned to face her with a smile on his face as he removed the hand on his jacket and held it in his own.

"We're going to Yoshiwara, China."


	5. Just Because You Paid For A Show Doesn’t Mean You Have To Stay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi all! So sorry for the delay on this one. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve restarted it or redone parts of it. I have no intention of abandoning this story so don’t worry if the odd chapter is a bit late. I hope you enjoy it. I hope I’m not rushing things but if you feel I am then please don’t hesitate to let me know! Updates will have to slow down a little now as I’m starting a YouTube channel and have some voice acting work to get done. Worry not! I’ll try at the very least to make sure that you wait no longer than a week! 
> 
> I also wanted to say thank you again for the reviews and kudos! I appreciate every word! There will be a small A/N at the bottom of this chapter.

 

He could be mauled by a bear. He could be attacked by a homeless person. The Hyakka could descend on them and execute him on the spot. Space pirates could land and threaten the safety of the planet unless they are given him specifically as a sacrifice. Perhaps the Shinsengumi discovers evidence of his sadistic crimes against innocent, pure members of the public such as young Yato females and rush in to apprehend him and demand that he commits seppuku in front of said girl in penance for his atrocious crimes against her.

Perhaps that last one was a little bit too specific but Kagura could think of many ways in which the sadist could meet his end.

She wouldn't be too picky so long as it happened within the next sixty seconds. She glared at her feet as she followed closely behind him. She refused to look up. She had never visited Yoshiwara alone. The only reasons she ever came to the city were to visit Hinowa and her son, Tsukuyo or to do a job. She had never strolled through the streets and never had any intention to. Otae had always told her that it was not the type of place that a young lady should go and yet, thanks to the sadist, here she was. Her internal crisis was openly displayed on her face for all to see.

Sougo, however, was not suffering from such problems. He walked casually along the streets as he navigated them to their destination. He could practically feel the heat radiating from Kagura's face on his back due to how closely she was following him. He found it amusing how such a brazen and foul-mouthed girl could feel so embarrassed in such a place. Her behaviour made it seem like there were naked people overflowing into the streets and fornicating left right and centre. He glanced over his shoulder to check on her. He had to restrain himself from laughing at her expression. They had yet to reach their destination and already she seemed at her limit. He contemplated being kind to her for a moment and then decided against it. His sadist mode activated.

He reached back with his hand and grabbed hers, pulling her forward so that she was walking next to him. He didn't release his hold as he felt her grab his wrist with her other hand. "Oi! What the hell do you think you're doing, bastard?! I'll rip your hand off and feed it to Sadaharu!" He felt her grip tighten on his wrist. Sougo sighed and continued to look forward.

"Yare yare, China. You're so quick to violence. Didn't Danna teach you how to use your words?" Kagura could feel the vein on her head enlarge. Sougo had made no move to remove himself from her person and that was unacceptable. She would teach the brat to respect his betters.

"Gin-chan always said that actions speak louder than words so if I want something done, I should do it and not talk about it."

"That doesn't sound like Danna. You can't just say "Gin-chan said" and act like whatever comes after it is true. Besides, do you always do what Danna tells you?" He looked down at her as he asked this, a smirk tugging at his lips. Kagura glowered at him in return.

"Gin-chan is Gin-chan. He'd say anything if you paid him to say it so therefore it's true." She jutted out her bottom jaw as her accent became thicker "and damn right I do what he tells me. Gin-chan's the boss and no one messes with him, punk." She attempted to pressure him into looking away and she leaned in closer to his face. Sougo didn't back away however and she found that it was becoming difficult to keep up with his pace in her current position.

"I need to tell Danna how to get better dogs then because the mongrel in front of me is defective." Kagura reacted instantly and he felt the pressure on his wrist intensify as she tightened her grip. As she let out a low growl, Sougo loosened his grip on her hand and twisted his wrist to dislodge her. As her hand slipped away, he reached across to grasp her stretched arm and twisted both arms behind her back. Kagura bucked wildly as she tried to break free but Sougo held firm. He had had to restrain far more brutish criminals than the small Yato. So long as she couldn't use her strength, he was fine.

"You're trying to hurt a police officer again, China. Do you want to be put in a cage that badly?" Her bucking only intensified at his words. "If you start foaming at the mouth, I'll have to tell Danna to put you down." Kagura stilled. Sougo tilted his head to one side in confusion. He had thought she would become more erratic, not upset. As he made to lean forward to check on her, he didn't see her leg sweep backwards to swipe his feet from under him. He released his grip as he fell backwards. He landed with a thump. He hadn't expected her sudden actions and was therefore unprepared for her to fight back at that moment. He had underestimated her. He looked up just in time to see Kagura's foot swing down but this time it was aiming for his head. He reached up and caught her leg by the ankle. Kagura responded by twisting her body and kicking her other leg towards him. He pushed her backwards as he back-flipped away from her. As he landed, he locked his gaze on her again as she charged at him. He side stepped her punch and raised his arm to wrap around her head to lock it in place.

Kagura heard him laugh and whipped her head up to see why. He leaned down slightly and said "There's a time and a place for that, China. Danna may be the saviour of Yoshiwara but they won't hesitate to put you down." Her eyes followed scanned the area and noticed two Hyakka members across the street from them walking by. They appeared to be engaged in conversation but their eyes were focused on the two. Kagura swallowed as she stood up straight, feeling Sougo's arm drop from around her neck to the small of her back. He gently pushed her forward and they continued towards whatever destination Sougo had in mind.

"Then next time, sadist, do as you're told."

"You seem to be forgetting who's in charge here, China. If you'd like, we can head back to the park later and I'll gladly pin you beneath me again." Kagura's shoulders tensed at his words. They were only an hour or so into the first day and she was ready to obliterate him. She felt him grab the back of her dress and tug her backwards to stop her walking. She hadn't realised that he had stopped. She turned to look at him but he was looking past her. She turned to face whatever was holding his interest. She couldn't see any signs, just a building that looked like any other in Yoshiwara. She noticed the door was open and it looked dark inside. She felt Sougo push her forward slightly in the direction of the building.

"And to think I was nice enough to bring you to a show."

 

* * *

 

She walked with him down a corridor. It was oddly silent in the building. It was well maintained and looked as though it was frequently used. The walls were a plain apricot colour with low lighting illuminating the way. There were a couple of doors that appeared to lead off from the hallway to separate rooms. To what purpose those rooms existed for she didn't know and she had no intention to find out. Sougo seemed to know where he was going. Kagura couldn't help but wonder how many times he had come here before and more importantly, what was it that kept bringing him back? He had mentioned something about a show?

As they made their way around a corner, Kagura saw that there was a desk with a young lady sat behind it. The woman was dressed in a beautiful red kimono that had a yellow floral petal pattern. Her hair was pinned up in a large top bun with a gold hair ornament. She looked up at them as they neared the desk and smiled. "Good evening, Okita-sama." The woman bowed her head slightly as she greeted them. "It's a pleasure to see you again. I hope that you are having a pleasant evening so far. I see you have a companion tonight. Are you here to watch the show?" The woman looked at Kagura, her smile still in place. Kagura smiled back but was unsure if she should speak for herself as she had no idea what the "show" was. She looked at Sougo and was stunned into silence. While she would not admit it out loud, Kagura was confused by Sougo's behaviour. His eyes had softened and he wore a dazzling smile that he freely gave to the woman. If Kagura didn't know any better then she would have thought him charming.

"Good evening to you too, Miyuki-san! If it's not too much trouble, we would be grateful to see the show but I know that we're a bit late. If it would be problematic for you, we could come another night." Kagura was still unable to contribute or comment. She was dumbfounded. Not only was the sadist being polite, he was being considerate! She glanced at the woman. How well did he know her? How did he know her? How often did he come here? What was this show?! She had so many questions!

"It's no problem, Okita-sama!" She raised a hand to her face. Her cheeks had turned a bright pinkish red colour as she struggled to find her words. "They 're a bit late starting so it's no bother!"

Sougo's smile returned as he tilted his head to one side. "Thank you so much, Miyuki-san. You're always so kind to me. I truly don't deserve such kind consideration." Kagura had to resist holding her stomach. The scene she was witnessing made her want to revisit her food from earlier that day. She did not have many regrets but this observation of the sadist was sure to make the list. She watched as the woman, now known as Miyuki, left through the door behind her. She returned her focus to Sougo only to witness the return of his dead fish eyed stare. She blinked and rubbed at her eyes. She was sure that just seconds ago he was projecting sparkles and sun beams.

"Oi, brat. What the hell was that? Are you schizophrenic or something? Toshi 2.0?"

Sougo turned to face her. He wore an expression that looked as though he were half asleep. Her perception was only strengthened as he lifted his hand to shield a yawn. "Hardly. If you want something then you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Women here love you so long as you treat them like a princess." He turned back towards the desk as they heard Miyuki return. As she sat once more behind the desk Kagura grew concerned for the woman. If her smile grew anymore then her face may split in two.

"I'm so sorry for that. I just wanted to make sure that we had two seats next to each other. It's all ready for you, Okita-sama. That will be 4500 yen, please." She held out her hand to receive the money. She blushed and looked away as Sougo brushed his hand against her's when making the payment.

"Thank you so much again, Miyuki-san! You really are the best, you know that?" He laughed as he concluded their exchange. Kagura was at her limit. It reminded her of that time when the Shinsengumi dressed up as hosts. She recalled how proud the sadist was as he manipulated the customers. She truly believed that the tax robber was in the wrong line of work.

Kagura was so deep in thought that she hadn't realised that Sougo had walked off until Miyuki had called for her attention. "We hope that you enjoy the show, miss!" Kagura just nodded and followed Sougo. With any luck, whatever this show was it would be over quickly and she could go home. If she closed her eyes and listened hard enough, she was sure that she could hear her bed calling out to her.

 

* * *

 

If she had thought she was in hell before then she did not know how to describe her current location. The show had started not long after they had sat down. Due to their late entry, Miyuki had sat them at the back of the room which appeared to displease Sougo. She smiled at the thought. Sometimes, it was the little things in life that made it good. Her joy had been short lived however as the curtains were drawn back. Kagura could only stare wide eyed at the woman on the stage.

The curvaceous but slim woman wore a bright blood red kimono that hung loosely around her shoulders. It was wrapped tightly around her body accentuating the curve of her chest down to her petite waist and onwards to hug her hips. The woman withdrew two fans from her sleeves and opened them revealing a cherry blossom pattern that matched her kimono pattern. A slow but melodic music began to play and the woman proceeded to glide across the stage, her movements revealing a large split in her kimono leading up to her hip exposing her long, pale legs. Kagura watched in fascination. The woman's actions were fluid and hypnotising. The room was silent as they watched on. Kagura was in awe. The woman projected control as she progressed, rotating and waving the fans as she moved and twirled making them appear as an extension of herself. Kagura wondered if she would ever be able to do something so graceful.

Sougo had also become engrossed in what he was watching. Not by the dancer however, but rather by the expressions playing out on Kagura's face. He was a frequent visitor to this place and therefore while he found the performances beautiful they had become somewhat repetitive. It was worth coming more with the China girl however to see her wonderment and admiration at such a show. He had brought her here with the intent to embarrass her so completely that she would beg and plead for him to take her away. He had been waiting for the moment she would realise what she was watching to witness her face to turn brighter than her favourite Qipao but what he was viewing instead was more than a pleasant surprise. Perhaps he would gain more from tonight than he had expected. However, the real show was about to begin.

Kagura was so enraptured by the dancing that she failed to notice the changing tone of the music as it shifted. The woman finished her dance with her back to the audience. She placed her fans down and slowly dragged her hands up her body. As her hands reached her obi, she gave a light pull and let it drop to the floor. She arched backwards and stretched her arms out behind her. Her kimono flowed like water down her body as it fell to the floor. Kagura was sure that she heard her jaw hit the floor.

The woman revealed that beneath the Kimono she was wearing a tight black leotard that consisted of straps and what appeared to be netting. She turned seductively towards the audience as a chair was slid across the stage that she stopped with her foot. Kagura felt that she should look away but found that she was unable to tear her eyes from the sight. The woman's corset appeared to have thick black straps that crossed over her chest and down to her waist. Two more straps encompassed her hips and dipped down between her legs. Everything else was thinly veiled by the mesh-like material and left little to the imagination.

Kagura turned to face Sougo. He was watching the show with his usual fish eyed stare. Kagura felt infuriated. She struggled to find a reason for why he would bring her here. He didn't even look like he was enjoying it! Her hand launched to his leg as she gripped it tightly, her knuckles turning white. Sougo jumped from the sudden pain and glared at her. She glared back. "We're leaving. Now."

Sougo gripped her wrist and attempted to alleviate the pressure from his leg. He was already certain that he would have bruises tomorrow. He cursed the Yato girl for her brutish strength. "It's just a show. Can't handle a bit of flesh, China?" He tried to force his fingers under hers to pry her off but had no such luck. Her grip only tightened at his words. He gritted his teeth against the pain.

"Listen here, Sadist. I have no problem putting on a show of my own when I beat you black and blue and drag you out on your hands and knees. Like I said, we're leaving. Right now." As she went to stand up, Sougo gripped her wrist and squeezed on her pressure point. Her hand immediately released his leg as he kept his grip on her wrist.

"Well, China. I had no idea you were such an S. I wonder how far you'd go if given the chance." She watched as he licked his top lip. She hated that damn tongue. "However, for now, I'm the one in charge and I say that we're watching the show. Maybe you'll learn something." With that he faced the stage once more with her wrist still in his grip. She made a move to tug it away but felt his grip tighten once more and her hand spasmed. She tsked as she looked at the floor. He might be able to make her stay but that didn't mean that she had to watch.

Kagura was determined not to lift her gaze from the floor. She was sure the show couldn't be that long. She counted in her head the number of different ways she was going to hurt the sadist once they finally left. Game be damned. She would make sure that the brat couldn't walk by the time she was done with him. As she plotted his demise, she felt his grip loosen slightly on her wrist. She didn't make a move to remove it as she knew he would only grip it once more. Before she could contemplate any further, she felt his thumb brushing over her wrist. She tilted her head slightly to look at what he was doing. It was a small movement but she watched as he brushed his thumb in circles over the pulse point. She decided that it wasn't a bad feeling. On the contrary it felt oddly soothing and so she allowed him to continue.

Her head jolted up and she heard what sounded like a cry come from the stage. Her attention was drawn to a man that had appeared on the stage with the woman. He was dressed in a plain set of black trousers and a black shirt. The man looked rather ordinary and Kagura would have thought him a backstage member if not for his hold on the woman. She watched as the man withdrew something from his pocket. It appeared to be something long and silver. As he pulled it out, he moved so that the audience could see that what it was that he held. In his hand appeared to be a wide length of silk.

The man abruptly grabbed the woman by her hips and turned her around to face the chair. He reached forward and around her body as he wrapped the silk around her hips. He brought both ends to the small of her back and tied a small knot. He pulled both of her hands behind her back and bound them using the silk. Once that was done, he proceeded to wind the silk back around her hips once more tying a knot at her stomach. He lifted the top end of the length to the woman's mouth who gripped it between her teeth. Though she knew this was not likely a first-time show, Kagura could only speculate at how many times they had done this. They moved as though they were dancing still. The movements flowed into one another. While she could appreciate the fluidity of the performance she couldn't understand the point of what they were doing.

Sougo's eyes flickered between the show and Kagura's face. He was a little confused on why she hadn't demanded they leave once more at the turn the show had taken. While he felt intrigued at her interest, this was not what he had intended. He had wanted her to stutter and fluster. To twitch in her seat in desperation to leave. He had expected her to be mortified not fascinated. As he watched her, he slowly realised that China was more innocent than he thought and was more than likely confused. He had momentarily forgotten that Danna had taken her in when she was a child and highly doubted that he would permit her to explore topics such as sex. She probably didn't realise what it was that she was watching. Sougo looked back at the show. He no longer felt like being here. He decided that it was time to call it a night.

Kagura was oblivious to Sougo's thought process and was still watching the show. The man was smoothing his hands down the woman's body ending with one hand on the still dangling silk at the front and the other once again on the small of her back. His hands reached down as he passed the silk between her legs and lifted it up behind her back. He pulled it taunt making the woman grunt at the sudden tension. Kagura observed as the man tied the left-over length to the knot from the first bind. She couldn't understand what the point of this was. The man then spun the woman around once more and removed the silk from her mouth and held it in his hand. He walked a few paces away and lead the woman across the stage.

As Kagura finally realised the intent of the binding, she was trying to understand the point of it when she felt Sougo release her wrist. He leant towards her and spoke quietly. "Time to go, China. Some of us have work tomorrow." He didn't give her a chance to reply as he swiftly got up and quietly left the room. Kagura rushed to follow him. Her confusion kept her silent as she tried to process what had happened. The sadist seemed to be the same as usual as he walked slightly in front of her with his hands in his pockets. His face showed its familial expression but his eyes seemed out of place. They appeared hard and focused. As though he were trying to work out a problem.

Kagura thought back on what had just taken place. She truly didn't understand the point of the show but she had thought that they would have stayed for the duration. Miyuki had clearly stated that this wasn't his first time so why did he leave early? The brat slacked off in work all the time so she hardly believed his shift excuse. Kagura quickened her pace slightly as they neared the exit so that she was by his side. "Hey, brat, what was the point of that? What did we just watch? Oi! Stop ignoring me you-"

Before she could finish, just as they were exiting the building Sougo had suddenly thrust his arm out and backwards, pushing her back inside the building and around the door frame. Kagura hit the floor forcefully. As she prepared herself to tackle the sadist to the ground in retaliation, Sougo's next words made her freeze in her place.

"Yo, Danna. Didn't expect you here tonight."

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay, so I’m not an expert at bondage but I have done some research for this chapter. The type of knot I attempted to describe is the “Matanawa Osanpo”. Hopefully, I didn’t mess it up too badly!
> 
> Chapters will be getting more intense as this story progresses so consider this a trial run. Also, while there will be moments of Kagura being an S and Sougo being an M, this story will mainly focus on Kagura being and M and Sougo an S. While I feel that they would sometimes switch roles, I feel that this setup would be more often and likely their dynamic.  
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please feel free to let me know what you think!


	6. Always Knock On The Door

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Apologies for the ridiculously long wait but at last! Here is the next chapter! It's not as long as I usually write them but hopefully it will not disappoint!
> 
> Still no lemon in this one guys but there is a lime. It wouldn't seem right to me if they just got straight to it!
> 
> Quick shout out to all the amazing people who have left me reviews. They really do help me to keep writing and I appreciate every single one!

 

* * *

 "Souichiro-kun! I didn't expect you down here! Did pay day come early? Ne? Ne?" Gintoki grinned openly as he staggered towards Sougo. The high colour on his face and the smell of alcohol rolling off him was all the evidence Sougo needed to know that the silver haired samurai was drunk. Sougo released a silent breath he hadn't realised he had been holding.

"It's Sougo and I don't have a set routine, Danna." Sougo shifted his weight as he leaned to one side. He watched as Gintoki made his way towards him and stopped a small way in front of him. While it was not uncommon for him to see Gintoki in Yoshiwara, now that he thought about it the frequency had increased, he had not expected to see much less run into him this evening. He decided not to say any more and waited to see how the samurai would respond.

"Now now, Soda-kun! Is that anyway to treat your bestie?"

"It's Sougo and we're not besties."

"Comrades?"

"We're not comrades."

"Business partners?"

"You're broke."

"Casual acquaintances that have grown closer together through the episodes to be more than familiar associates?"

Sougo just blinked slowly as he processed what Gintoki had said. He decided to not dignify that last effort with a response and chose to stare at the samurai instead. Gintoki stumbled forward and waved a hand in front of Sougo's face. "Woo hoo! Earth to Captain! Don't respond if you want me to take your money!" Sougo just blinked again as he turned and made to start walking away. He glanced at the doorway in front of him. He needed to lead Gintoki from the entranceway before he had a chance to see Kagura. He turned back and observed Gintoki standing there picking his nose. Sougo grimaced at the action.

"If you want some quick cash I'll pay you for a job request, Danna." As he finished his statement Gintoki appeared instantaneously a breath away from Sougo's face. Gintoki squinted as he starred into Sougo's eyes. The silence between them was maintained for a few moments before Gintoki backed away slightly with a grin.

"Your friendly neighbourhood hero is always happy to help you out, Sofa-kun! Just name the task and I'll name the price!"

"It's Sougo and I want you to go kill Hijibaka-san." Gintoki froze after hearing the request. Sougo found himself waiting once more for a response, his eyes flicking between Gintoki and the doorway. He needed the Yorozuya boss to leave. Who knew what Kagura was up to after her reaction to the show. Sougo shifted his glance back to Gintoki who had yet to move. Sougo tilted his head in thought. Perhaps the animators had left for a lunch break? As Sougo contemplated the possibility further he noticed Gintoki straighten himself.

"My business is called 'Yorozuya Gin-chan' and I accepted long ago that there would be times that I would have to make a tough decision on whether I would be able to take on a tough job. Whether I would be able to rally my spirits to complete an undesirable request." Sougo's eyes focused on the shadowed face in front of him. He was not as familiar with drunk-Gintoki as he was sober-Gintoki. He watched intently as the silver haired perm slowly raised his head and the light revealed a manic look of excitement on his face. "but never could I have anticipated a job request that I wanted more! Mayora-san will finally meet his demise at the hands of Yorozuya-sama! Mwhahahaha!" Gintoki laughed manically with his arms out stretched. Sougo just blinked at the sudden shift in tone. He found he couldn't bring himself to care enough to question what he was witnessing. He took out a pen and paper from his pocket and wrote down directions to the Shinsengumi compound with an additional picture of Hijikata tied up in a canon. He held out the paper for Gintoki to take and found that Gintoki was waving fervently to someone behind him.

The first thing that Sougo noticed were the sunglasses the man was wearing followed by the box situated on his hips. As the man neared the two men, Sougo also noticed the trail of tears that flowed down the man's face. Before he could ask anything, Gintoki slung his arm around the man and pulled him down to whisper something to him. The man merely shook his head in response to whatever it was that the samurai had said to him. Everything went still for a moment before Gintoki lashed out and flipped the man onto his back.

"You're a walking bad luck charm! You and your damn DORK spiral! You damn creature with sunglasses!" Gintoki repeatedly stamped his foot as he pointed an accusing finger at the man on the ground. Sougo sighed as he walked towards Gintoki and slipped the piece of paper into his yukata. He patted him on the shoulder as he turned to leave.

"Get the job done by sunrise, Danna. I'll even give you a bonus if you bring pictures." As he turned back to the building he heard Gintoki call behind him.

"Oi! We need to talk payment! Gin-san needs to know how much he's getting before he does the deed! And 50% up front and the rest when you're satisfied!" Gintoki paused and looked around him. He noticed how the surrounding people and courtesans had stopped to stare at him. He scratched the back of his head and grabbed the man on the floor. "Come on, Madao. I need bait." Sougo watched as he dragged the weeping man down the street, ignoring the weak hand that was reaching out to him.

Sougo quickly headed back into the building he left Kagura in. He paused when realised that she wasn't where he left her. He walked back to the room they exited from and glanced inside. She wasn't there either. He hurried to the reception desk and asked Miyuki if she had seen Kagura. She shook her head and asked if he needed any assistance. Sougo declined and ran back out to the street. He looked up and down hoping to see a flash of vermilion hair but found none. Sougo stood there in silence and stared forward at nothing as realisation sunk in.

He had lost Kagura.

 

* * *

 

"Do you think Gin-chan will be out late with Tsukki-san, Sadaharu? Do you think he'd notice if I had his share of egg on rice?" Kagura was lounging on the sofa in the Yorozuya office in her pyjamas, her leg swinging back and forth as she patted Sadaharu's head. "I think he'll understand that it's important for a growing woman to have lots of nourishment so she can be beautiful." She swung her legs round as she sat up with Sadaharu following suit. "Right! Thank you, Gin-chan!" Kagura rose with conviction and made her way to the fridge. She hummed as she took out the necessary ingredients. She had had a pleasant evening but all the walking had made her hungry. She paused in her motions as she thought back to earlier that night.

She could be honest with herself and admit that she felt a little guilty about disappearing but after Gintoki had shown up she thought it best not to chance anything. Besides, Sougo had said that they were done for the evening so there was no problem, right? Kagura tried to convince herself that if she repeated it enough times that she would believe it. She shook her head when her thoughts became too much.

"I'll just apologise to the sadist the next time I see him. I'll even warn him before swinging my umbrella as an apology gift! That should make things even!" She continued her task feeling better about herself now that she had a plan. She carried her food back to the office and fell back onto the sofa. As she took the first few bites of rice Sadaharu stood up and turned to face the entrance way.

"wush up, shadaharu?" Kagura swallowed the mouthful of food she held and starred at the dog. She leaned forward to pet his head but was interrupted by a banging on the front door. She turned to face the doorway and contemplated whether she needed to answer it or not. The business was closed at this hour and no one she knew would wait to come in. She shrugged her shoulders and moved to resume what she was doing. Just as she was about to settle the banging repeated but was louder this time. Kagura grumbled as she once again set her bowl down and got up to answer the door. She hoped that whoever was knocking was prepared to pay the price for interrupting the queen. She slid the door open and readied herself to tell the intruder off.

"Go home- "Kagura was cut off before she could send the visitor away. She wasn't prepared for the hand that fisted the front of her pyjamas and pushed her backwards into the building. Kagura reacted automatically and gripped her assailant's wrist and stared at him with wide eyes.

"When the hell did you get back here?!" Kagura just blinked repeatedly as she took in the angry expression on Sougo's face. When she felt him lift her off the floor slightly she came out of her daze and tightened her grip in return.

"What does it matter to you, sadist? And who the hell bangs on the door at this time of night when people are trying to sleep?! You damn tax robbers think- "

"Shut up. Do you have any idea how long I've been looking for you?" He pressed Kagura close to the wall as his tone levelled out. "You disappeared. I had no idea where you went or if you had been taken. You couldn't even tell anyone there where you had gone. Are you that stupid? Did you even think before you just did whatever it was that popped into your head?" Kagura's eyes narrowed at his words.

"Who the hell are you to tell me what I can and can't do?!" She started to twist his wrist in the hopes of making him let go of her. She didn't want to hurt him but he needed to calm down. "The last thing we needed was Gin-chan finding us there or did you forget what we agreed? Besides, I'm a Yato. No one is going to take me without a struggle so I think you'd notice, baka!" She watched Sougo's face for a reaction but all he did was narrow his eyes more at her.

"You're quick enough to tell me what we agreed but you're the one who keeps breaking the agreement." Kagura furrowed her brows in confusion. Sougo released his grip and instead grabbed both her wrists and pinned them above her head. He pushed her so that her back was flush against the wall and pinned her with his leg between hers. "I don't recall telling you that you could leave. All you had to do was wait there for me to come back and you couldn't even handle that much and then you have the audacity to make it sound like  _I'm_  in the wrong?" Kagura tried to move her head away from his face. She moved her arms back and forth trying to dislodge him but made no progress. She could feel Sougo's fingers digging into her wrists cutting off the blood flow. She turned so that she was staring straight at him and steeled her eyes. She hesitated for a moment to think of a response. Sougo never gave her the chance however as he shifted his knee up the wall, lifting her along with it. Kagura gasped in surprise at the feeling. Realising what he did and embarrassed at her response she glared at Sougo.

"I don't need your approval for anything. Besides, you didn't say I couldn't leave either so I did nothing wrong." She bared her teeth and attempted to thrust herself forward. His hold stayed the same but she saw the momentary surprise on his face at her actions. Kagura became alarmed as the look of shock turned into his usual smirk.

"You don't need my approval? You really don't know what being a slave means, do you? Perhaps you're in need of a lesson". Sougo knew that he should stop there. That things were going too far too soon but he found that he couldn't resist the sight in front of him. Kagura looked almost helpless balanced on his leg. He shifted his hold on her wrists so that both were held in one hand and ran the other one down the smooth expanse of her arms. Kagura didn't make any sound as he moved but her eyes widened. She didn't know how to respond to his actions. While they weren't unpleasant she knew that they were inappropriate and yet she couldn't will herself to break free of his hold. She turned her head to the side and looked down at the floor.

She felt as his hand neared her shoulder and trailed across her jaw line. He gripped her chin with his index finger and thumb and sharply lifted her face to his. He leaned in and watched as her eyes widened further and her mouth opened slightly but made no sound. Sougo felt himself grow more excited as he looked at her. He hadn't thought that she would be so submissive but was pleasantly surprised. He leaned in further and tilted his head so that his lips were nearly touching her own. Kagura could feel his breath as he exhaled and felt a tingle go up her spine. She wondered what it would feel like if she were to move forward ever so slightly.

Sougo chuckled softly under his breath. "I'm not telling you to do anything now and look how good you're being?" His hand continued its journey again down the side of her neck. His eyes followed the path his hand took as it grazed over the top of her chest. As it travelled downwards, he undid the first couple of buttons on her pyjama shirt. Kagura's breathing quickened as she felt her shirt begin to open. She let out a low moan as she felt the cold air brush against the top of her now exposed breasts. Sougo's hand glided over the swell of her breasts as it continued down past her waist over her stomach to settle on her hip where he lazily drew circles with his thumb. He raised his head so he could look at her face and was pleased to see her flushed cheeks and heavy-lidded eyes.

Kagura was still speechless as she drowned in the feelings of his hands on her body. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she locked her eyes with his. His smirk was even bigger now as he took in the sight of her. "Now, what do you have to say about your actions tonight?" Kagura grit her teeth and refused to respond. She wouldn't let him win the fight. Sougo's only response was to move his leg slightly against the apex of her legs. Kagura gasped and closed her eyes at the feeling. Every brush of his leg against her core sent a jolt of electricity through her body. She squirmed as she was torn between pushing him away or grabbing him closer for more. As Kagura fought a mental battle over the sensations assaulting her body, she heard and felt Sougo whisper in her ear. "Well, Kagura? What do you have to say?"

She felt herself shiver at the sound of her name. She kept her eyes closed as she panted softly. "I'm…I'm sorry I left." She opened her eyes and saw how close his head was to her face. She felt his breath on her ear one once again.

"And?" He lifted his leg suddenly and pushed her downwards. Kagura's head snapped back. She bit her lip and glared at him. She really didn't want to say it but she didn't know what would happen if this didn't end soon.

"And I won't do it again." She felt his chest shake with a silent laugh as his leg stopped moving. She took a deep breath and released it slowly to calm herself. She felt Sougo's hand move up and down her side gently as if comforting her. She tried to focus on her breathing but found it hard to ignore the sensation. As she leaned her head back against the wall she felt Sougo's lips ghost over her jaw line.

"That's a good girl." His hand settled once more and Kagura closed her eyes as her mind settled. Sougo then backed away without warning and watched as she fell to the floor. Kagura was unprepared and failed to catch herself resulting in a heavy thump. She glared up at him and became angrier at his evil smirk. "Look, the doggy learnt a new trick." Kagura's jaw became firm as she swept her leg forward taking his leg out from under him.

As he hit the floor Kagura pointed at him and laughed dramatically. "Who's the dog now, sadist?! Bwhaha!" Sougo just sat up right and stared at her with his usual fish stare. He gripped his shin as he rubbed it up and down in an attempt to alleviate the thrumming pain he felt. He didn't say anything as he stood up and brushed off his uniform.

"Don't forget to meet me in the park tomorrow at 11:00am. Remember what happens if you're late." Kagura just blew out air as she looked away from him. He moved towards the exit and paused. Kagura waited for him to say something. After a few moments had passed she was ready to boot him off the balcony. Sougo turned and looked back at her. Kagura stared back but he wasn't looking at her face. Kagura glanced down at her open shirt and blinked once. Twice. A third time.

"You bastard!" Sougo made a quick exit as the sound of a sandal hitting the door frame could be heard.

 

* * *

 


End file.
